The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-06-25

An All-the-Year-Round Service De-
manded Over the Diekey Route.

Il Hon. Fred. +. Dubois. our del,
gate in congress, who has been
: Washington for some time past Ell
gagged in public affairs, sends to tn
, KEYSTONE the following letter r,
ccived by him from the secon
, assistant postmaster general in r.
latiOn to postal matters in Idaho
PosrorrrcE DEPARTMENT.
Office 2d Assistant T. NJ. General,
NJ WASHINGTON, ID. c.. June 2. 1887
"A \SIe: In reply to yuOr letter Of inquiry O
the 18th ultino in relation tO change G
service ON route No. 42l75 from Kctchur
u Dickey, and increased service f.R tn
onice at Mullan, have the honor ~ inform
you that an order was made OH the l9tl
uieamo on the above named route suspend
ing service from December LIST tn April 3O:I
81 each year and increasing service IL 81,
times week from May LIST to Novembe
5Oth OF each year, said increase to TAX
effect June l, 1887
The increased service for Mullan has no
been ordered, as the department has il
contemplation the supply Of Wallace b,
railroad, and when that matter has beer
settled the question of the supply of Null
1
4. LEO KNOTT.
Second Asst p. NJ. Gcn'l.
Hon. FRED. T. DUBOIS, Springfield. ILL.,
In private letter to the KEY.
STONE Delegate Dubois says: "Ml
Wright, president of the Philadel-
Nphia Company, and Major Hynd.
man were with me when the order
was made, and it was upon their
assurance that the arrangement was
what your people desired that
consented to the abandonment OF
the service in the winter"
Delegate Dubois refers to the
Dickey route. When Mr.. Wright
and Major Hyndman called at
the department to secure, if posi-
bic, an increase of the service, it
was no intention Of theirs to favor
any abandonment during the win.
ter. They found themselves badly
handicapped when the second as
sistant brought out a petition signed
by few residents OF Ketchum and
personal letters from the postmas-
ters at Dickey and Ketchum certi-
flying that the route was not a
practicable one during the winter
months. This petition and the let
tiers placed them in an embarrass-
ing position, and under the circum-
stances they requested that the
service be increased to six times
week until December LIST, by which
time it could be shown that the in
terests of majority of the people
of Ketchum demanded at least a
tri-wcekly service during the win.
ter. To he shut out from direct
mail communication with the up
per country for five months of the
year would be an outrage. Any
one of the local bidders fully un-
that a continuous service
would be required, as set forth in
the request for bids, and had any
one of them been awarded the con-
tract it would have been fulfilled
in strict accordance with the terms,
and winter. The 'imprac-
ticability.of the route in wintss1 is
all "rOt" and was never thought of
until Mr.. Peasc, the contractor,
came here and seduccd few of the
residents into signing his petition
for abandonment. He could not
afford to carry the mail under his
during the winter months. !
Dut it could be done at a fair price. |
It is true that a four-horse stage |
could not bc used, but the mail
Gould be forwarded by sleigh, and
Turing brief periods when storms
snow-shOes could be used.
The local bidders considered all
hesc things and made their bids
accordingly, but Mr.. Pease, with no
of carrying out the con-
ract, made his figures far below all
,thcrs. No credit is due to him
or the present daily service in any
manner. He never could have ac-
omplished it. The increase of SER
ice is due alone to the efforts of
Delegate Dubois, Mr.. Wright and
'lajor Hyndman. These gentlemen
lOpe to make such a favorable
howing to the department that
'ill demand an all-the-year-round
ervice, and their efforts should be
'armly seconded by every one in
he community who has the inter-
st Of the town ut heart.